Rats destroyed on property near Bon Accord

About 15 rats have been destroyed after officials discovered a nest on a property near Bon Accord, north of Edmonton.

Officials believe the rats hitched a ride on a trailer or RV coming from British Columbia.

"We periodically get rats coming in usually a single rat. But this time it must have been a pair and they made a little nest and had some little ones," said Phil Merrell, a rat and pest specialist for the Alberta government.

Alberta has claimed rat-free status since the1950s.But the rodents do occasionally make an appearance in the province.

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The infestation is a continuation of one they dealt with last spring, Merrell said.

"Generally we can clean up an infestation fairly quickly, but this one spread to the neighbours," he added.

Officials say the situation is now under control, but there have been a few single rat sightings in the community since.

Exterminators worked for weeks in 2012 after aninfestation of dozens of rats was foundin a Medicine Hat landfill.